Heel and method of making the same



July 31, 1934. F. c. LOVEJOY 1,968,047

HEEL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed April 5, 1932 Patented July 31, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEEL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Application April 5, 1932, Serial No. 603,266

13 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements. in methods of making heels of the Louis type and to improved methods of making shoes having such heels and also to improvements in such shoes and heels as articles of manufacture. The invention is herein set'forth for purposes of illustration with particular reference to heels of the type known as continental Louis heels.

A continental Louis heel is characterized by having a breast face which is flat, or nearly so,

and a lip at the upper portion of the heel breast the upper surface of which constitutes a forward extension of the attaching face of the heel and the lower surface of which is disposed at a sharp angle to the breast face of the heel. Such heels are commonly made of wood and heretofore they have been covered in substantially the same manner as ordinary Louis heels, i.e., by applying a covering to the rear and sides of the heel before attachment of the heel to a shoe, and by covering the heel breast, either by means of a separate piece of covering material applied before the heel is attached, or by means of a flap integral with the sole of the shoe and applied to the heel breast after the heel is attached to the shoe. In either case, however, difliculty has been experienced in properly fitting the breast covering into the sharp angle between the heel breast and the lower face of the lip and in securing the covering permanently in place in that locality. Moreover, such a method is necessarily expensive, particularly in cases where the breast of a high heel is to be covered by a sole flap, inasmuch as the sole frequently has to be cut to a length substantially greater than that of the shoe bottom in order to insure that the sole .fiap, which is formed by splitting the heel portion of the sole, shall be long enough to extend to the top-lift end of the heel breast.

One object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned difficulties and to provide for the manufacture of heels of the continental Louis type, and of shoes having such heels, at substantially less expense than has heretofore been practicable.

With the above object in view, the present invention contemplates an improvement in methods of covering heels which consists in covering the rear, side and breast faces of such 50 a heel without covering any susbtantial portion of the lower face of the lip of the heel, and forming a butted joint between the upper edge of the heel breast covering and the lower face of the lip of the heel.

As herein exemplified, a one-piece cover is employed for the rear and sides of the heel having opposite end portions or extensions adapted to cover the narrow faces at the opposite sides of the lip and to overlap the middle of the heel breast, and after the covering has been applied to the rear and sides of the heel each end portion is slit inwardly from its front edge toward the corner formed between the lateral edges of the breast and lip faces of the heel to permit the lower portions of these forward cover extensions to be laid upon the breast face below the lip. As illustrated, the portions of these cover extensions which are located above the slits just referred to are utilized to cover the relatively narrow surfaces at either side'of the lip of the heel and to overlap the opposite lateral margins of the lower face of the lip. Also, as herein exemplified, there are formed in the breast of the heel before the covering is applied three closely adjacent straight parallel slots or grooves which extend heightwise of the heel from the top-lift-receiving face upwardly along the breast and through the lip to the attaching face of the heel and the opposite lateral edges of the cover portions which are laid upon the heel breast are tucked in to the middle slot so as to form a neat and secure joint between those cover portions. After being covered as above described the heel is attached to the shoe the outsole of which has previously been prepared by having a thin flap split from its grain side at the heel end thereof. As illustrated, this sole flap is laid upon the uncovered lower face of the lip and trimmed to abut the upper edges of the covering member previously laid upon the heel breast.

Considered in another aspect, therefore, the invention further consists in a heel of the Louis type having a lip the upper surface of which constitutes a forward extension of the attaching face of the heel and the lower face of which is disposed at a sharp angle to the breast face of the heel, and is left substantially uncovered, and a covering upon the rear and side faces of the heel having opposite end portions covering the breast face of the heel, the upper edges of said end portions of the heel covering fitting into the angle between the breast and lower lip faces of the heel.

After attachment of the heel to the shoe the lower face of the lip is preferably covered by means of a flap split from the sole of the shoe, as hereinbefore described. Accordingly, invention is also to be recognized in the combination in a shoe, of a tread sole, a continental Louis heel, a cover upon the rear, side and breast faces of the heel, and a flap split from the tread sole of the shoe and covering the lower lip of the heel, said sole flap having its rear edge abutting the surface of the covering upon the breast of the heel.

The invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a view, in side elevation, of a continental Louis heel the breast of which is slotted to receive the lateral edge portions of a covering to be applied to the heel in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the heel;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the heel;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the heel illustrating certain steps in the operation of applying a covering to the rear, side and breast surfaces thereof;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the heel as it appears after the rear, 'side and breast surfaces have been covered;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the heel taken on the line VIVI of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the rear portion of a shoe, illustrating particularly the trimming of the sole flap, the section being taken along a vertical plane somewhat offset from the central vertical plane of the heel;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. '7 but with the sole flap as it appears after it has been trimmed and laid with its trimmed edge abutting the covered breast face of the heel; and

Fig. 9 is a view, partially in side elevation and partially in central longitudinal section, of a shoe having attached thereto a continental Louis heel covered in accordance with the present invention.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing, a so-called continental Louis heel is formed with a substantially fiat breast face 12, and a lip 14 which projects forwardly from the upper portion of the heel breast, the construction of the lip being such that its upper surface constitutes a forward extension of the attaching face 16 of the heel while the lower face 18 of the lip is disposed at a sharp angle to the breast face 12. To provide for the formation of a tucked-in joint between the meeting ends of the heel covering upon the breast face 12, three closely adjacent straight parallel slots or grooves 20 are formed byany suitable means in the breast of the heel, the slots 20 extending from the toplift-receiving face 22 upwardly along the middle "of the breast face 12 and through the lip 14 to the attaching face 16. As a result of the formation of the three slots 20 there is provided a central slot for receiving the tucked-in portions of the heel covering as well as two additional slots which are located one at either side of the central slot and which serve to render flexible the side walls of the central slot so that the central slot will expand readily to facilitate the tucking operation and subsequently contract to provide for a tight joint between the tucked-in cover portions. A heel having three slots constructed and arranged as and for the purpose just described is disclosed and claimed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,761,359, granted June 3, 1930, upon application of William H. Nutt, and reference may be had to said application for a more detailed description of the construction, arrangement and function of the grooves.

As herein illustrated, the rear and side faces of the heel and the breast face 18 are covered by means of a one-piece cover 24 which, as indicated in Fig. 4, is out long enough to enable the opposite end portions of the cover to overlap the middle slot 20 in the heel breast so as to provide sufficient surplus for tucking into that slot and it is also cut wide enough to provide surplus for overlapping both the attaching face 16 and the top-lift-receiving face 22 of the heel. A suitable adhesive having been applied to the heel surfaces which are to be covered, or to the cover itself, or to both the heel surfaces and the cover, the cover is first positioned with its central portion alined with the back of the heel and then the cover is wrapped around the side faces of the heel, the cover being stretched as it is being applied so as to conform it smoothly to the contour of the curved heel surfaces and to press it firmly against the faces of the heel, including the narrow faces 26 which at either side of the forwardly projecting lip 14 and which constitute extensions of the side faces of the heel. The cover 24 then appears as shown in Fig. 4, having opposite end portions which extend forwardly beyond the opposite lateral edges 30 of the heel breast an amount equal to somewhat more than the width of the widest portion of the heel breast. To enable these end portions or extensions of the cover 24 to be laid against the breast face 16 the cover extensions are first snipped, for example by means of scissors, to provide in each extension a slit 32 (Fig. 4) extending inwardly from the front edge of the extension toward the corner 34 formed by the junction of the lateral edges of the breast face 16 and the lower lip face 18. Cover flaps 36 are thus formed below the slits 32 and smaller fiaps 38 are formed above the slits 32. The lower cover flaps 36 may be readily folded inwardly to cover the heel breast while the upper cover flaps 38 may be utilized to cover the faces 26 of the lip 14.

In covering the breast of the heel, one of the cover flaps 36 is first turned inwardly and laid against the heel breast and trimmed to provide suflicient surplus for tucking into the middle slot 20 without, however, extending to the bottom of the slot. This trimming may conveniently be gaged merely by the eye of the operator or, as

a practical matter, the cover may be laid flat against the heel breast above the right-hand slot 20 and that slot may be used to gage the location of a trimming cut made by means of a knife drawn along the breast so as to extend through the cover and into the slot. trimmed the trimmed edge is tucked into the middle slot by means of any suitable tucking implement. Next, the other cover flap 36 is similarly turned inwardly and laid upon the righthand side of the heel breast and its edge is trimmed and tucked into the middle slot 20 beside the end portion which has-already been tucked therein. This trimming and tucking of the opposite end portions of the cover may be effected as more fully described in Letters Patent No. 1,761,359 above referred to, As a result of the tucking operation a tight and neat appearing joint is formed in the meeting ends of the cover, while the upper edges of the cover flaps 36, which edges were formed by the cutting of the slits 32, closely abut the uncovered lower surface 18 of the lip 14. It is easy for an operator after having had a little experience to gage the locations of the slits 32 so that these After being thus upper edges of the cover flaps 36 will'abut the lower face of the lip without overlapping said face. If, however, there should be more or less overlap the same may be trimmed off by means of a sharp knife drawn along the line defining the junction of the breast and lower lip faces.

The upper cover flaps 38 are pressed into smooth engagement with the opposite faces" 26 of the lip 14 and the portions of these flaps which extend slightly below the lower edges of these end faces of the lip are turned inwardly and laid against the lateral margins of the lower face 18 of the lip as indicated at 40 in Fig. 5.

v The portions of the cover which extend upwardly beyond the attaching and downward beyond the top-lift-receiving faces of the heel are turned inwardly and pressed against said faces, as indicated at 42 and 44, respectively, in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 5, the rear and side surfaces of the heel (including the faces 26 at either side of the lip 14) and the entire breast face 12 below the lip 14 have been completely covered by means of the one-piece cover 24 but the lower face 18 of the lip 14 has been left uncovered except at its opposite lateral margins which are overlapped by the portions 40 of the cover.

The heels are now ready to be attached to a shoe,'such as the shoe S (Fig. 9) which has previously been prepared by having a thin flap 46 split from its heel end. The fiap 46 having been turned backwardly out of the way, the covered heel H is applied to the heel-seat portion of the shoe and attached to the shoe in any desired manner; Preferably, a suitable adhesive is applied between the shoe and the heel and after the heel has been properly positioned suitable heel fastening means, such for example as the nails 48, may be driven through the shoe bottom and into the heel. The sole flap 46 is next laid upon and adhesively secured to the lower face 18 of the lip 14 and to the narrow cover portions 40 which overlap the lateral margins of the lower lip face. It has been found in practice that surplus adhesive will invariably substantial- -ly fill the portions of the slots 20 which are located in the lip 14, as indicated, for example, at 50 in Fig. 9, in such a manner as to provide a more secure bond both between the lip 14 and the shoe bottom and also between the lip and the sole flap 46. The sole flap 46 is trimmed so that its outer edge will closely abut the surface of the inturned portions 36 of the side cover, as indicated clearly at 52 in Fig. 8. This trimming of the sole flap 46 may conveniently be accomplished, as indicated in Fig. '7, merely by drawing a trimming knife along the lower face of the lip 14, the knife being guided by engagement of its face with the covered breast face of the heel and the edge of the knife cutting against the lower face of the lip. The trimmed edge of the sole flap 46 is then carefully fitted into the angle between the breast and lip faces of the heel as indicated in Fig. 8 so that a neat and tight butted joint is formed between the trimmed edge of the sole flap and the covered breast face of the heel. It will be noted that there are no raw edges exposed either at the joint between the tucked-in end portions of the side cover 36 or at the joint 52 at the end of the sole flap 46. It will also be noted that even if the upper edges of the portions of the side cover which overlie the heel breast are not accurately trimmed they will be covered eventually by the sole flap the trimmed edge of which is, as already' described, butted against the upper trimmed edge portion of the breast covering.

By using the sole flap for the purpose of covering the lower face of the lip of the heel it is only necessary to provide a short flap and accordingly it becomes practicable to employ a short outsole, as indicated in Fig. 9, the space at the rear of the outsole being filled, if desired, by means of a separate filler 54.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods. of covering a continental Louis heel provided with a forwardly projecting lip having lateral faces of substantial area which are continuous with the rear and side faces of the heel, which consists in applying a single piece of covering to the rear, the side and the breast faces of the heel as well as to the lateral faces of the lip, and forming a butted joint between the upper edge of the covering upon the breast of the heel and the lower face of the lip of the heel.

2. That improvement in methods of covering a continental Louis heel provided with a forwardly projecting lip having lateral faces of substantial area which are continuous with the rear andside faces of the heel, which consists in applying a single piece of covering to the rear,

the side and the breast faces of the heel as well as to the lateral faces of the lip and the lateral portions of the top and lower surfaces of the lip, and forming a butted joint between the upper'edge of the covering applied to the breast of the heel and the lower face of the lip of the heel.

3. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in covering the rear, side and breast faces of a continental Louis heel and the lateral margins only of the lower face of the lip of the heel, attaching the heel to a shoe having a flap split from its tread sole, and applying said sole flap to the lower face of the heel lip to overlap the previously covered margins of the heel lip and to cover the previously uncovered lip surface between said margins.

4. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in covering the rear, side and breast faces of a continental Louis heel, attaching the heel to a shoe having a flap split from its tread sole, laying said flap upon the lower face of the lip of the heel, and forming a butted joint between the covered breast face of the heel and the adjacent edge of the sole flap.

5., That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in covering the-rear, side and breast faces of a continental Louis heel but leaving the lower face of the lip of the heel substantially uncovered, attaching the heel to a shoe having a flap split from its tread sole, laying said flap upon the lower face of the heel lip, trimming said sole flap along the line defining the junction of the lower lip face with the covered breast face of the heel, and forming a butted joint between the trimmed edge of the sole flap and said covered breast face.

6. That improvement in methods of covering heels which consists in applying a covering to the rear and side surfaces of a continental Louis heel so as to cover said surfaces and leave opposite end portions of the covering extending defined by the junctions of the lateral edges of 159 the forward end heel having a slot extending the heel breast face with thelateral edges of the lip of the heel to form upper and lower cover flaps, laying said upper cover flaps upon the lateral margins of the lower face of the lip, and laying said lower cover flaps upon the heel breast so as completely to cover the latter below said lip, while leaving the lower face of the lip uncovered between said upper cover flaps.

'7. A continental Louis heel having a lip the upper surface of which constitutes a forward extension of the attaching face of the heel and the lower face of which is disposed at a sharp angle to the breast face of the heel and is left substantially uncovered, the lip having lateral faces which are of substantial area and are continuous with the respective sides of the heel, and a covering upon the rear and side faces of the heel having opposite end portions covering the breast face of the heel and the lateral faces of the lip.

8. A continental Louis heel having a lip the upper surface of which constitutes a forward extension of the attaching face of the heel and the lower surface of which is disposed at a sharp angle to the'breast of the heel, the lip having lateral faces which are of substantial area and are continuous with the respective sides of the heel, said heel having a single cover laid upon the rear and the side faces of the heel, portions of the cover being laid of the heel and upon the lateral as well as being fitted into the the breast face and the upon the breast faces of the lip, angle formed between lower face of the lip.

9. A heel of the Louis type having a lip the upper surface of which constitutes a forward extension of the attaching face of the heel and the lower surface of which is disposed at -a sharp angle to the breast face of the heel, the

from the top-liftreceiving face of the heel upwardly along the heel breast and having a cover upon the rear, side and breast faces of the heel, said cover having end portions tucked into said groove and other portions overlying the opposite lateral margins of the lower face of the lip of the heel. I 10. A heel of the continental Louis type having three closely adjacent parallel grooves extending from the top-lift-receiving face of the heel, a cover upon the rear,

heel upwardly along the middle portion of the heel breast, and a cover upon the rear and sides of the heel having extensions covering the breast face of the heel, said cover extensions having lateral edge portions tucked into the middle groove in the heel breast and having upper edges abutting the lower face of the lip of the heel.

11. In a shoe, a tread sole, a continental Louis side and breast faces of the heel, and a flap split from the tread sole of the shoe and covering the lower lip of the heel, said sole flap having a substantially straight rear edge abutting the surface of the covering upon the breast of the heel.

12. In a shoe, a tread sole, a heel having a forwardly projecting lip at the upper portion of its breast and three closely adjacent parallel slots extending heightwise of the heel along the middle portion of the heel breast and through said lip, a quantity of adhesive in the grooves in the lip bonded to the bottom of the shoe and to the side walls of the slots, a cover upon the rear, side and breast faces of the heel having meeting margins tucked into the middle slot in the heel breast, and a flap split from the sole of the shoe and covering the lower face of the lip of the heel, said flap having its rear edge abutting the surface of the covering upon the breast of the heel.

13. In a shoe, a wooden heel having a lip the upper surface of which constitutes a forward extension of said attaching face of the heel and the lower surface of which is disposed at a sharp angle to the breast face of the heel, the heel having a slot extending heightwise of the heel from the top-lift-receiving face upwardly along the breast, a short tread sole having its rear portion seated upon the forward portion only of the attaching face of the heel, a filler piece seated upon the attaching face of the heel at the rear of the tread sole, a cover upon the rear, side and breast faces of the heel, said cover having end portions tucked into the slot in the heel breast, and a flap split from the short tread sole and covering the lower face of the breast lip of the heel with its rear end abutting the upper portion of the heel breast covering.

FRED C. LOVEJOY. 

